Our Daily Shed

[Silverbrumby]

Just a quirky post about how much hair you shed in the morning. I'm to lazy to count up the whole day count but I lose most in my morning comb out.

So you can

1. Just put how many you lost in the morning comb out

2. During the whole day

3. Lengths of the shed hairs

4. Whatever takes your fancy.


*********************

My shed in this mornings comb out

71

[Shepherdess]

It depends, one week I will barely shed anything and then the next week it seems that it won't stop shedding. I think that it is just my growth cycle that determines how much I shed and when. The other morning I actually counted a little and paid attention to what hair I was losing. I probably shed about 30-45 hairs that morning. Over half of them were from my bangs that I have been growing out and the rest were almost as long as my full length. Only about 5 were from my longest length.

[~honeyflower~]

I shed only about 3 every morning is that pretty normal? no bragging here I am actually a little worried I feel like I should have more.

[Silverbrumby]

I shed only about 3 every morning is that pretty normal? no bragging here I am actually a little worried I feel like I should have more.

When I have to comb out my sons shoulder length hair he barely sheds compared to me and he's 13.

I think it's normal for folks under 21. Or for some folks. I'm shedding 50 plus and have been now on and off for the past 7 years.

[dollyfish]

I don't comb, but when I run my hands through my hair in the shower I like to keep track.

Before LHC I used to shed at least 10-20 hairs every morning simply in washing my hair. Nowadays I don't shed at all in the shower, though I did find 1 hair tangled between my fingers day-before-yesterday, after I had to shampoo to get henna out!

I ordered a nice wide-toothed wooden comb, so perhaps my shed hairs will make themselves known there instead of on my clothing.

[Silverbrumby]

Today in my 71 comb out in the morning

1/2 where mid length on my head

1/4 short (from the front/back)

1/4 longest

[akilina]

I would drive myself mad if I did this. I vow to never obsess over how much hair is falling out of my head because it would probably stress me out alot and make me all crazy about it ahaha. Then lose more hair.

[Silverbrumby]

I would drive myself mad if I did this. I vow to never obsess over how much hair is falling out of my head because it would probably stress me out alot and make me all crazy about it ahaha. Then lose more hair.

I did drive myself mad when I first joined LHC but not now. Back then I was trying to stop what I thought was a massive shed cycle. Now I realize after reading comments from a bunch of folks that hair has:

1. Life cycles eg babies usually have fine hair, young children thicker, teenagers abundant hair that does not shed much, early to mid twenties the first noticeable shed, after birth shedding, mid 40's shed (which I'm in now).

2. Habits effect. smoking, vit, minerals, stress, wear and tear.

3. Genetics

After 1 year and a little gain I now know I'm facing my mid 40's shed. It runs in the family. I'll still do what I can but I'm now thinking outside the square if my hair doesn't come good (my verison of good). It's empowering.

Shed after shower - 15

Total today - 85

[riceball]

I think I only really shed when I wash. Which I do, usually CO, every other day. I find about 50 hairs. Sometimes it seems alarming but my hair is so thick that I don¨t really worry.. maybe I will worry if one day it starts to thin! I doubt it though, my mom is 61 years old and has hair as thick as mine.

I do seem to have lots of baby hairs sticking up though, which is annoying.

[nobeltonya]

I haven't actually counted how many hairs I shed when I wash and comb my hair in the morning, which surprises me b/c that's something I'd expect I'd do.. :D But I'm aware of how much hair I'm shedding by the size of my hairballs.. ;) During the day, I lose hairs at random, usually one or 2 here and there.. and my hairs are almost always 3 ft+ with the white balls, which means they were already ready to come out.. I rarely find a shorter/broken one, luckily. :cheese:

[Silverbrumby]

110 today total

[Alva]

I don't count, whenever it would be more as average for a while I would get totally depressed, and that isn't worth it. Happened to me in the past when people had similar threads to count the hairs shed. Even at times I shed a lot I never ended up bald still :D It goes up and down in thickness, on average it just stays the same for me.

[Silverbrumby]

19 in the morning comb out. Woot. Seems to be that the day after washing it the count is low.

[evieisocoolike]

Just took my hair down from last night's sleep crown-braid and combed out, no shed hairs. I rarely shed, but that is probably accredited to me being 13 :disco:

[Shepherdess]

Just took my hair down from last night's sleep crown-braid and combed out, no shed hairs. I rarely shed, but that is probably accredited to me being 13 :disco:

ha ha, probably...I'm jealous :p

[Silverbrumby]

Just took my hair down from last night's sleep crown-braid and combed out, no shed hairs. I rarely shed, but that is probably accredited to me being 13 :disco:

I gave my sons hair a tangle tease, it's about as long as yours and he's 13 as well. One hair... I'm jealous to.

[Silverbrumby]

Thirty hairs today. My shed rate is down the past few days. Going to enjoy that.

[DarkCurls]

Woah, so much of you shed so little. ^^ I don't count because a) it'd take so long and b) I'd just end up worrying, but I shed a lot more than 30 hairs!

Actually, I don't shed so much during a regular day, at least not that I can tell. Probably a few stray hairs here and there, maybe some during the night, but nothing noticeable. But on wash & finger-combing days (I don't detangle my hair when it's dry, so that's twice a week "only"), I end up with hairballs on my hands. :p Seriously. I know if I counted the hairs I'd freak out! But I try not to.

[Alexblue]

Between 50-60 for the whole day, almost all are long and usually come out with my morning comb and or wash.

[Covet]

I'd never bother to count the hairs I shed, I would feel too obsessed with my hair when I'm a total benign neglecter. I only comb mine every few days and because my hair is curly, I guess the hairs that shed remain in the curl and don't slip out the way straight hair would. So when I comb it, it seems like I shed quite a bit when in fact its the accumulation of a few day's shed hairs :)

[GenLove86]

Had massive shedding today and I really don't know why. Maybe I should keep a log/count my sheds. It wouldn't hurt.

[Silverbrumby]

I'm only keeping a log so I get a feel for what's normal for me. I did obsess when I first joined here but if my average is 80 to 100 then it's fine. I'm up to about 75 so far today.

EDIT:

Also I'm trying to get a feel for the whey and Monistat I'm using. Is it helping?

[GenLove86]

Just realized why I'm shedding so much today. I was way over stressed yesterday.

[cwarren]

I'd never be able to count my shed hairs! My hair is too curly and it would take too long :)

I try to do frequent coffee rinses to minimize shedding and it helps. Without the coffee rinse, I always had a big ball of hair at the end of every shower.

[ingvild]

I do count my sheds. Not every day, but now I'm in a counting period because I have some scalp issues. The anti dandruff shampoo made me shed tons after washing, but now I'm using a tea tree oil shampoo which cut my post-wash shed in half. Also trying to eat less yeast and sugar to see if it helps me scalp. :)

Last time I had dandruff flare I shed 100+ every day. I fixed it and was very low for a while (30). Now I'm at 40-60 a day, not counting the hairs I shed after I wash. I think that is quite normal for me...
Yesterday I shed ~45. I comb out my hair in the evening and the morning so it's easy to keep count. It does make me feel a bit neurotic, but eh. :p

[ariesfairies]

About 50 :confused:

I wonder if this sort of thing would be and obvious lead to a shorter terminal length? Would anyone think an amount like 40, 50, 60+ everyday for years be an issue in the long term?..

[Nikinka]

about 30... but in April I had more that 100.

[Ambystoma]

I got a little paranoid a while back that I was shedding more than usual so I kept count for a week, and wow, my scalp has strange plans:o

It looked like:
3
20
97
120
75
4

so I don't really worry any more since it seems quite random.

[Silverbrumby]

I do count my sheds. Not every day, but now I'm in a counting period because I have some scalp issues. The anti dandruff shampoo made me shed tons after washing, but now I'm using a tea tree oil shampoo which cut my post-wash shed in half. Also trying to eat less yeast and sugar to see if it helps me scalp. :)

Last time I had dandruff flare I shed 100+ every day. I fixed it and was very low for a while (30). Now I'm at 40-60 a day, not counting the hairs I shed after I wash. I think that is quite normal for me...
Yesterday I shed ~45. I comb out my hair in the evening and the morning so it's easy to keep count. It does make me feel a bit neurotic, but eh. :p

OMG that is one thick braid! Props.

[Silverbrumby]

68 today total. Low count for a wash day. My hair seems to be growing again and the shed count is lower. Not sure why.

[dawnrader]

I actually did this yesterday and it drove me mad so i won't be doing it again!!

I shed 15 hairs into my tangle teaser in my morning brush. I have to say it was a lot less than usual and even when i was washing my hair the other night i lost only a very few, which is NOT what my hoover says to me :)

Other than finding massive clumps in the washing machine/dryer or smooshed into the rug i don't think about the hairs im losing, i have plenty more.

nic
x

[MintChocChip]

In my morning comb out I shed 29. A lot lower than I expected to be honest. I went through a massive shed about 2 months ago due to stress so I'm liking this smaller shed. But, it's a wash day today so no doubt I'll shed heaps more in the shower later. We shall see. May edit and update this later today. :) It's interesting to actually count the hairs, I'll be doing this for the next week or so to see what's normal for me.

[Amber_Maiden]

morning shed- 89

[Silverbrumby]

Morning shed 23 which is low for me. Only change is whey protein and re started MSM. Enjoying the heavy shed break.

[saffy2yrs]

I don't count my shed, but sometimes it is scary when I have lived with my hair in a french braid for a week when I take it down and wash I have what seems like 1000 hairs or more fall out! I know it is a week of shedding, but still having to move the shed from the drain 3 to 4 times is scary when normally I only do it once.

[Silverbrumby]

I don't count my shed, but sometimes it is scary when I have lived with my hair in a french braid for a week when I take it down and wash I have what seems like 1000 hairs or more fall out! I know it is a week of shedding, but still having to move the shed from the drain 3 to 4 times is scary when normally I only do it once.

I went away for 6 days and only washed it once during that time. Not so bad I guess but I knew traveling and lack of proper care and supplements and Monistat was going to take its toll. When I washed it yesterday I heard a plop in the shower. It was a clump of hair, then another. I lost well over 300 in that wash but if I was to be positive it's probably because I hard barely combed it or taken any notice of it for days which led to a build up of 'to be shed' hairs.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Today it was a typical 40 hairs. I'm glad I'm counting as on the whole it's staying under the 100 a day which is meant to be average.

Edit: Make that 60.

[jojo]

I am a seasonal shedder normally September is my worst month and again in March, other than that I hardly shed. I am 43 btw, one good thing about when i have a huge shed it always follows a growth spurt.

I honestly hardly ever find hairs in my comb or left in the bath tub, maybe im odd!!

[Silverbrumby]

I am a seasonal shedder normally September is my worst month and again in March, other than that I hardly shed. I am 43 btw, one good thing about when i have a huge shed it always follows a growth spurt.

I honestly hardly ever find hairs in my comb or left in the bath tub, maybe im odd!!

That's wonderful. I find hair on my clothes, floor, bath, children. You name it.

BUT I have noticed my hair is finally getting to feel thicker. I have a lot of hair that seems to be filling in. I started biotin and biosil (not doing biosil as much) about 1 1/2 years ago and now I have lots of strands about 8 inches long. I grow slow. There was a ton of shedding going on but it seems to have slowed.

The monistat and biotin seem to help. I'm also loving the Whey I just started taking about 3 weeks ago now. I've noticed growth since starting the whey.

[Dragon Faery]

Heavens. I shed tons! I always have, even as a child and teenager. I've never had thin hair, though, unless it's just that my "don't know how to care for curly hair" frizz hid the thinness. It seems thicker than ever now, at any rate, but compared to all of you my daily shed count would make me think I was on the verge of going bald if I didn't already know it was "normal" for me.
My average shower shed is usually between 150 and 200 hairs, and I usually lose at least 20 before washing and up to 20 after. My daily average seems usually to be close to 170 hairs. If I neglect it, I can shed 200-500 hairs in a single wash.
And yet, at almost waist, my hair is still too thick to do most buns other than a basic cinnamon bun.

How on earth can someone shed fewer than 10 hairs a day? I'm impressed and rather shocked. :confused:

[Vampyria]

One morning there were a lot, so I counted. I counted 45 and I freaked out, because of the huge shed I had a year ago (BC pills). I lost a lot of hair back then and it still didn't fully recover. But now I see that this number is quite normal.

I usually shed less than that in the morning, but my hair falls out all the time during the day, so I'm afraid to count. :(

I'm on my supplement again and I hope this will help a bit.

[Silverbrumby]

Heavens. I shed tons! I always have, even as a child and teenager. I've never had thin hair, though, unless it's just that my "don't know how to care for curly hair" frizz hid the thinness. It seems thicker than ever now, at any rate, but compared to all of you my daily shed count would make me think I was on the verge of going bald if I didn't already know it was "normal" for me.
My average shower shed is usually between 150 and 200 hairs, and I usually lose at least 20 before washing and up to 20 after. My daily average seems usually to be close to 170 hairs. If I neglect it, I can shed 200-500 hairs in a single wash.
And yet, at almost waist, my hair is still too thick to do most buns other than a basic cinnamon bun.

How on earth can someone shed fewer than 10 hairs a day? I'm impressed and rather shocked. :confused:


You have an impressive head of hair. At iii I can imagine you'd lose more than me. What is your ponytail circumference? Mine is 2.75.

Todays shed 45.

[Dragon Faery]

You have an impressive head of hair. At iii I can imagine you'd lose more than me. What is your ponytail circumference? Mine is 2.75.

Todays shed 45.

You know, I never actually measured before. So I did just now, three times, and it always came out to slightly over or under 3.5" ...I can't remember the chart. Does that put me at ii, ii/iii, or solidly iii?

Is there anyone else out there who sheds over 100 per day? I find this whole subject very fascinating.

[winteriscoming]

I shed 54 hairs today

[Silverbrumby]

I shed 54 hairs today

40 again this morning but there is the rest of the day and wash day. I usually lose close to 100 on those days.

I think 3.5 is a solid iii. Need to hunt around on LHC for more info.

[Shiranshoku]

Ack, so I'm not shedding that much because of my age, not because I have good genes or something? Darn :) I shed about 2 to 5 hairs when combing my hair, find the occasional stray hair on my clothes or in the bed... But not much at all. Shower drain is always full with DH's short black hair, and very few of my hairs.

I do have this problem with hair from my fringe getting caught in my glasses, so I loose about 5 hairs daily that I pull out because of that too.

[Silverbrumby]

Ack, so I'm not shedding that much because of my age, not because I have good genes or something? Darn :) I shed about 2 to 5 hairs when combing my hair, find the occasional stray hair on my clothes or in the bed... But not much at all. Shower drain is always full with DH's short black hair, and very few of my hairs.

I do have this problem with hair from my fringe getting caught in my glasses, so I loose about 5 hairs daily that I pull out because of that too.

After my wash today the total was about 140... Go me! It's great that you don't shed much. I have this theory now. I think those that shed a ton might have a shorter terminal length.

Just a thought in my head. No proof.

[Dragon Faery]

40 again this morning but there is the rest of the day and wash day. I usually lose close to 100 on those days.

I think 3.5 is a solid iii. Need to hunt around on LHC for more info.

Thanks for your help! :)
I have a hard time searching things on this site from my phone, which is usually my only means of access. Hence my occasional questions when I should use the "search" function instead. :p


After my wash today the total was about 140... Go me! It's great that you don't shed much. I have this theory now. I think those that shed a ton might have a shorter terminal length.

Just a thought in my head. No proof.

This is a thought that worries me, as I shed a lot and am hoping for a loooong terminal length...
Guess we'll see in about 10 years? Hehe...

[Inozz]

I'm shedding so bad right not. I just made a post about it. I haven't counted but I would guess I get at least 20 hairs in my brush each time and about a gold ball size ball from washing.

[Inozz]

Golf ball*

[Hollyfire3]

3.5 can be considered ii/iii but it is .5 short of iii which is 4.

[Silverbrumby]

Thanks for your help! :)
I have a hard time searching things on this site from my phone, which is usually my only means of access. Hence my occasional questions when I should use the "search" function instead. :p



This is a thought that worries me, as I shed a lot and am hoping for a loooong terminal length...
Guess we'll see in about 10 years? Hehe...


I wouldn't worry about your terminal, most people with your thixkness go on to grow longer hair. Taper seems to be a goos measure of terminal.

[Dragon Faery]

3.5 can be considered ii/iii but it is .5 short of iii which is 4.

Awesome! Thank you! I guess I accidentally typed myself right when I filled in my stats. :)


I wouldn't worry about your terminal, most people with your thixkness go on to grow longer hair. Taper seems to be a goos measure of terminal.

I hope so! Thanks for the encouragemet. :)

***
Today was wash day. Lost about 20 hairs before wash, 98 during, and about 5 after.
Total loss for the day approximately 125. (Yes, I rounded up.)

Hairs lost ranged from 2" all the way to 19" with the most common lengths lost being 6" and 17-19". Some of each length are coarse and black, some medium and ginger, and some fine and med-light brown. My head is so weird.

Oddly, this time I didn't find any cat hairs. Usually I find at least 3.

[mamaherrera]

I need to enter in this too, as I always shed a lot. I've had months when my average (daily) is 66, but usually it's at 93-100 daily, always. I know everyone says 50-100 is normal, but to lose 100 every single day, do you all think that is still safe?? I also have weeks when average is 108 or 125. I'm anal too, but I've had hormonal problems and all that.

Another thought, about the density test, my pony measures at 3.8 inches, but part of the reason is that my hair is medium thickness, but quantity of strands is less than someone like my daughter who has fine hair, but her pony measures at 3.8 the same. But obviously she has to have way more hairs (number) to measure the same as me. So if I"m a 3.8 incher but with thick hair, would I still fall into density iii, or a ii, since technically it's fewer hairs. I would love to see increase. I think density tests should be be categorized into thickness of hair categories.

[~BoHemiAngel~]

You guys that shed less than 20-30 hairs per day are so lucky! I have been going through a massive shed for the past 4 years, and it seems like there is no end in sight. The last time I washed my hair, so many handfulls were coming out that I had to sit down and count them- the grand total came to 582. Yes, I actually counted them. That was a record, even for me, because my average daily loss is around 200.

I've been to two doctors, one of whom actually laughed at me when I expressed concern and the other said it was 'probably just stress.' Thyroid, iron, ferritin, and all blood tests repeatedly come back normal. I am at a total loss for what to do :( Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, I just don't have many people in my life that can understand and sympathize with what I'm going through. *sigh*

[Silverbrumby]

You guys that shed less than 20-30 hairs per day are so lucky! I have been going through a massive shed for the past 4 years, and it seems like there is no end in sight. The last time I washed my hair, so many handfulls were coming out that I had to sit down and count them- the grand total came to 582. Yes, I actually counted them. That was a record, even for me, because my average daily loss is around 200.

I've been to two doctors, one of whom actually laughed at me when I expressed concern and the other said it was 'probably just stress.' Thyroid, iron, ferritin, and all blood tests repeatedly come back normal. I am at a total loss for what to do :( Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, I just don't have many people in my life that can understand and sympathize with what I'm going through. *sigh*

A few questions here:

1. How old are you? Ball park is fine.

2. Ponytail circumference? Has it changed and are you keeping a record of that change?

3. Have you been dieting?

4. Have you started the pill recently?

5. Stopping the use of monistat can lead to very heavy sheds I've heard.

I shed a lot. Probably 60 to 100 a day on average so while this is a big shed I'm hoping it's either the typical post teen shed or maybe the perimenopausal shed.

Edit:

Went to your album. Your hair is so lovely and doesn't look thin at all there. Also you appear young so maybe this is the early to mid twenties shed some women get. Do you have any recent pictures?

[mamaherrera]

You guys that shed less than 20-30 hairs per day are so lucky! I have been going through a massive shed for the past 4 years, and it seems like there is no end in sight. The last time I washed my hair, so many handfulls were coming out that I had to sit down and count them- the grand total came to 582. Yes, I actually counted them. That was a record, even for me, because my average daily loss is around 200.

I've been to two doctors, one of whom actually laughed at me when I expressed concern and the other said it was 'probably just stress.' Thyroid, iron, ferritin, and all blood tests repeatedly come back normal. I am at a total loss for what to do :( Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, I just don't have many people in my life that can understand and sympathize with what I'm going through. *sigh*

YOu are not alone, I too, am going on four years of high shedding, that varies but always returns high. :horse: Has your density changed?? My husband always measures mine, and he says it's the same (I hope he's not lying to me to make me feel better) but it's hard to find what works and doesn't work for you because often times we change so many things at once. And when it gets better, we don't know what helped either. I wonder for example if I'm having conditioner stay on my scalp when I do a rinse out, adn I wonder if my manipulation techniques are off. but I still think all these things we do, only cause hairs that we're going to shed anyways to shed, just earlier, I don't think we can pull healthy hairs out just by normal manipulation

[Shepherdess]

Shed 29 hairs this morning.

[Vampyria]

I need to enter in this too, as I always shed a lot. I've had months when my average (daily) is 66, but usually it's at 93-100 daily, always. I know everyone says 50-100 is normal, but to lose 100 every single day, do you all think that is still safe?? I also have weeks when average is 108 or 125. I'm anal too, but I've had hormonal problems and all that.

I shed 100 hair every day, sometimes more, sometimes little less, and I've lost half an inch of the thickness in a couple of months. Well I measured around 3.5 without bangs and now, I'm at 3 inches with all my hair in the ponytail.

I think 100 hairs would be normal, if it wouldn't happen every day or most of the days.
Here's another member's (Emichiee) opinion about that:

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=97158&page=2

[mamaherrera]

well I must be going bald then. Because I count daily and I average it, somtimes I lose 320 in one day, then 20the next day, etc. but it averages out to being 93-100 per day in a month. I've been like that for a long time though.

[petali]

Oh I didn't know teenagers didn't shed that much! I lose on average 50-70 hairs a day, and I'm a little worried about how much I'll shed when I'm older. My ponytail circumference ranges between 3.5 and 4 inches (depending on where it is) and I have fine hair. So this might be normal.

[Vampyria]

well I must be going bald then. Because I count daily and I average it, somtimes I lose 320 in one day, then 20the next day, etc. but it averages out to being 93-100 per day in a month. I've been like that for a long time though.

For me, this is increased shedding because I've lost thickness, like I mentioned and because I didn't shed so much a couple of months ago. I also rarely count, because I don't want to worry myself to much, so it's possible that the numbers are bigger some days. If your thickness stays the same, than it should be alright.

[lole18]

How much is it normal for 17 year ok to shed? i thinnk ive been shedding a lot its getting pretty thin what should i do?

[petali]

How much is it normal for 17 year ok to shed? i thinnk ive been shedding a lot its getting pretty thin what should i do?

How much do you shed every day? How thick is your hair? Does it consist of fine, medium, or coarse hairs?

[lole18]

How much do you shed every day? How thick is your hair? Does it consist of fine, medium, or coarse hairs?

its originally thin but its been getting thinner the past 3 years and its fine hairs but the sheddding i havent really counted but its a lot though my hair is till my neck.. i want to insert a pic to show u but i dont know how lol :)

[petali]

If you have a photobucket account, you can just insert the url. I don't really know how to insert pictures any other way.

[lole18]

If you have a photobucket account, you can just insert the url. I don't really know how to insert pictures any other way.

http://www.vissastudios.com/hair-shedding-pictures-day

its more than the second picture daily.. like add the first and second picture hair thats how much its falling.. its thin fine hairs and till my neck :)

[petali]

hmmm... I don't like the way they show the pictures, because if you have coarser and longer hair, you could be shedding a lot less than others yet it could look like a lot. So how long has your hair been getting thin?

[lole18]

hmmm... I don't like the way they show the pictures, because if you have coarser and longer hair, you could be shedding a lot less than others yet it could look like a lot. So how long has your hair been getting thin?

i started to notice more shedding 5 years ago? but i was a kid so i didnt worry about it.. then at 14 i really worried about it because it got a little thinner then two years ago it got more thinner.. what should i do about it? i tried castor oil and coconut oil but they both didnt work also henna (this has nothing to do with shedding just color wise) and i tried honey for lightening and it got a shade lighter after a few times then after 5 days the color faded away to my original color :D i really wish it would get thicker and coarser and longer and lighter lol im greedy :) what do u think of yogurt does it really help the health and lightens the hair?

[Silverbrumby]

http://www.vissastudios.com/hair-shedding-pictures-day

its more than the second picture daily.. like add the first and second picture hair thats how much its falling.. its thin fine hairs and till my neck :)

Ponytail measurements are a great way tracking a shed. I was 2.4 now almost 3 but if I go though another shed it might go down again.

I'm glad I'm tracking though. I've added in and changed a lot of my routine so for me this is my way of trying something and seeing if the shed increases or decreases.

eg:

1. CO washing - big increase, stopped it.

2. Stress - increase a few weeks down the track from trauma

3. MSM - seems to be decreasing my shedding. But it's weird. I noticed that on the days I take it there is less shedding the next day. How can it effect my hair like that? It's not logical.

4. Sulfate free LOrieal EverStrong shampoo. It has rosemary in it and for some reason my scalp loves it and I shed less.

5. Stretching washes. My hair hates this. Shed, shed, shed.

6. Biotin, iron, vit D - I think it helps but didn't notice anything.

7. Monistat - decrease in shedding but if I stop then boy oh boy. I will probably get the mega stopping monistat shed. I've been using monistat since March 2012

[petali]

I've never heard of yogurt for hair. Are you sure the hairs you shed aren't breakage? I heard that Mane&Tails makes your hair thicker. I've never tried it for myself.

[lole18]

Ponytail measurements are a great way tracking a shed. I was 2.4 now almost 3 but if I go though another shed it might go down again.

I'm glad I'm tracking though. I've added in and changed a lot of my routine so for me this is my way of trying something and seeing if the shed increases or decreases.

eg:

1. CO washing - big increase, stopped it.

2. Stress - increase a few weeks down the track from trauma

3. MSM - seems to be decreasing my shedding. But it's weird. I noticed that on the days I take it there is less shedding the next day. How can it effect my hair like that? It's not logical.

4. Sulfate free LOrieal EverStrong shampoo. It has rosemary in it and for some reason my scalp loves it and I shed less.

5. Stretching washes. My hair hates this. Shed, shed, shed.

6. Biotin, iron, vit D - I think it helps but didn't notice anything.

7. Monistat - decrease in shedding but if I stop then boy oh boy. I will probably get the mega stopping monistat shed. I've been using monistat since March 2012

whats MSM and Monistat? also what can i do to get rid of stress? i cant help it im stressed about lots of stuff :( do u know whats the average ponytail measurement? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?


I've never heard of yogurt for hair. Are you sure the hairs you shed aren't breakage? I heard that Mane&Tails makes your hair thicker. I've never tried it for myself.

it is breaking because its curly but the amount i showed u in both pictures is shedding too:( ive tried the shampoo it really didnt work for me! but do u think the pic looks normal? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?

[mamaherrera]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/picture207u.jpg/ This is my hair. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/picture193h.jpg/
This is my hair shed today, 240 hairs after three days of about 40 hairs. So just in these four days, I average 97 hairs per day. I have coarser hair than normal, medium thickness, but there are lots of broken hairs in there and short hairs from the sides. what I don't get is I find lots of broken hairs that have the white root bulb on them, but never find the other broken halfs. Am I counting a hair twice???

[gonzobird]

Silverbrumby,
I swear on the days I don't take msm my shedding is less, too. But I take 200mg, its like nothing (mines in a supplement with horsetail and other things, so the msm is way less than what other people take) so thats weird. I don't get it, either. I think Its all in my head. Pun intended, :)

[petali]

whats MSM and Monistat? also what can i do to get rid of stress? i cant help it im stressed about lots of stuff :( do u know whats the average ponytail measurement? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?



it is breaking because its curly but the amount i showed u in both pictures is shedding too:( ive tried the shampoo it really didnt work for me! but do u think the pic looks normal? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?
Did you ever use gels, or heat-style your hair often? Are you recovering from some hair damage? And if your hair falls out in clumps, you need to get help.

[KhiraLi]

Just started counting and I got 15-20 the first two days. I hope it stays that way but I guess it can vary a lot judging by the answers in this thread

[lole18]

Did you ever use gels, or heat-style your hair often? Are you recovering from some hair damage? And if your hair falls out in clumps, you need to get help.

is the amount in the picture average? and no i dont i use to use gel a very long time ago but now i dont maybe once every two weeks :)

[petali]

I can't tell unless I know how long the person's hair is. If someone has thick but fine hair, they probably shed more (on average) than someone with thing but coarse hair.

[Vampyria]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/269/picture207u.jpg/ This is my hair. http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/picture193h.jpg/
This is my hair shed today, 240 hairs after three days of about 40 hairs. So just in these four days, I average 97 hairs per day. I have coarser hair than normal, medium thickness, but there are lots of broken hairs in there and short hairs from the sides. what I don't get is I find lots of broken hairs that have the white root bulb on them, but never find the other broken halfs. Am I counting a hair twice???

Did you wash your hair today, or did something different than usual? Are you doing something that could damage the hair and cause the breakage?

[lole18]

my hair sheds 80 to 145 hairs a day.. but when i wash it (i wash it every other day) it falls 270 to 300 or a little more.. is this normal? im taking vitamins and taking care of it im 17 and i have fine short thin hairs will brushing it daily help make it shed less? or what should i do? i have noticed it getting thinner

[Silverbrumby]

whats MSM and Monistat? also what can i do to get rid of stress? i cant help it im stressed about lots of stuff :( do u know whats the average ponytail measurement? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?



it is breaking because its curly but the amount i showed u in both pictures is shedding too:( ive tried the shampoo it really didnt work for me! but do u think the pic looks normal? the thickness of my ponytail is 1.7 inches though my hair is curly :( is it possible to get it to 3 or more? how long would that take? what should i use?

You might be on the finer side for hair thickness and density. There are a lot of members with those measurements who have grown longer hair.

So is your mum or sisters a fine hair?

Breaking. That's not normal IMO. What is your hair care routine.

1. Heat? Blow fry or flat iron? In the past recently?

2. Vitamins?

3. Dieting?

4. Rough handling e.g. brushing when wet or something like that

5. Have you been tested for Iron def. thyroid etc.

6. Are you dieting?

[lole18]

You might be on the finer side for hair thickness and density. There are a lot of members with those measurements who have grown longer hair.

So is your mum or sisters a fine hair?

Breaking. That's not normal IMO. What is your hair care routine.

1. Heat? Blow fry or flat iron? In the past recently?

2. Vitamins?

3. Dieting?

4. Rough handling e.g. brushing when wet or something like that

5. Have you been tested for Iron def. thyroid etc.

6. Are you dieting?

1. hardly ever
2. sometimes (i forget to take them lol)
3. i wanted to go on a diet but im focusing on my hair right now i dont want to shed more so i eat normally trying to eat healthy:(
4. i comb it when its damp with leave in conditioner because its curly i cant comb it dry but no rough handlin
6. yes and yes but i am taking both medecines long time ago and my doctor said it shouldve stopped the shedding so it isnt the reason behind it because i took the medecines:)
and no when i was a kid it was medium to fine hairs and kind of thin but now its very fine hairs and very thin.. and my family have medium to thick hair!

[~BoHemiAngel~]

A few questions here:

1. How old are you? Ball park is fine.

2. Ponytail circumference? Has it changed and are you keeping a record of that change?

3. Have you been dieting?

4. Have you started the pill recently?

5. Stopping the use of monistat can lead to very heavy sheds I've heard.

I shed a lot. Probably 60 to 100 a day on average so while this is a big shed I'm hoping it's either the typical post teen shed or maybe the perimenopausal shed.

Edit:

Went to your album. Your hair is so lovely and doesn't look thin at all there. Also you appear young so maybe this is the early to mid twenties shed some women get. Do you have any recent pictures?

Thanks for your response, Silverbrumby :flower: So in answer to your questions:

1. I'm 31 years old (bless your heart for guessing early 20's :D)

2. Pony circumference is 3", and strangely, it hasn't changed in spite of this ginormous shed. It seems that I'm losing mostly the long, mature hairs, but at least new ones keep growing in. They just don't STAY in, and continue to fall out even when they are very short. :shrug:

3. No dieting here... I make an effort to get in lots of healthy protein (fish, grass-fed red meats, free range poultry, organic eggs) and good fats (avocados, walnuts, coconut milk, ground flax seeds), eat lots of veggies and fruits, and also take a multivitamin and extra fish oil capsules. I even tried taking biotin and MSM for a couple months at a time, but didn't see a major difference.

4. No pill usage, either. 100% hormone free :)

5. The problem may be with the Monistat... I just use it every now and again, because I'm not sure at this point whether my scalp likes oily things or not. I'll go a few weeks with using it, and then a few weeks without. Maybe my hair doesn't like the inconsistency and I should just stick with one way or the other?

Thank you again for your comments and taking the time to look through my album. Of course, I only post the pics where my hair looks decent (the "fluff" from my waves sometimes gives the illusion of extra volume ;) ) But I'll include some pics so you can see more of what I'm talking about:

Pic 1 was from about 4 years ago (sorry for the cut-off at the bottom of the page, this was a pre-LHC pic), and then pic 2 on the right is from just a few months ago:

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x322/hburgy/nicehair640x480.jpg http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x322/hburgy/DSCN1332640x480.jpg

The one on the left was even a half-up, which still looks about 3x thicker than my hair does now even with it all down. Ah well... Still searching for the answer, because I know this shed has to be caused by more than "just stress" as my doctor believes :rolleyes:

-BoHemiAngel

[Dragon Faery]

You guys that shed less than 20-30 hairs per day are so lucky! I have been going through a massive shed for the past 4 years, and it seems like there is no end in sight. The last time I washed my hair, so many handfulls were coming out that I had to sit down and count them- the grand total came to 582. Yes, I actually counted them. That was a record, even for me, because my average daily loss is around 200.

I've been to two doctors, one of whom actually laughed at me when I expressed concern and the other said it was 'probably just stress.' Thyroid, iron, ferritin, and all blood tests repeatedly come back normal. I am at a total loss for what to do :( Sorry to be such a Debbie Downer, I just don't have many people in my life that can understand and sympathize with what I'm going through. *sigh*
:grouphug: aww that's too bad! :(
Some thyroid problems don't show up in blood tests.
You might have circulation issues, or else some sort of mild fungal thing going on. If it's potentially a circulation issue, scalp massages might help. If it's potentially fungal, there are herbs and other things that can counteract that. Chamomile is one. I hear garlic can help, too, but I'm not sure if that's an antifungal or if it increases circulation, or if it does something else entirely.
It could be some other kind of deficiency. Anything from vitamin B/Biotin/folic acid to sulphur or zinc.
Your body might need more fatty acids (omega-3s, etc) or more protein.
Or it could be a cruddy age-related change, although I'm of the opinion that most "age-related" changes are really health/quality of life-related.

I seem to be shedding a minimum of 100 hairs daily, and frequently it's more than that. I have no idea what's for sure causing it, but I tend to have a lot of health problems, most of which doctors don't recognize/believe/know what to do with. (E.g. I have chroniC muscle tension, resulting in fatigue, depression, migraines, herniated discs, trouble breathing without pain sometimes, and consistent abdominal and calf cramping. One doctor heard "abdominal pain" and had me tested for kidney problems. Argh. The tests came back negative. Of course. After doing my own reearch, I'm currently taking extra magnesium, potassium, calcium, and zinc, as well as lots of vitamin B and folic acid. All of these on an empty stomach twice a day seems to at least kick the migraines. I've recently started taking fish and flax seed oils, as well. I'm hoping that all of these together will improve my health at least somewhat. My current hair-growing strategy is to figure ut how to make myself as healthy as possible. Hopefully whatever is messed up in my body will slowly fix itself, and then it will have more left over to pump into my hair. I've noticed my nails are getting stronger again, so it's at least having *some* effect. And the depression is a lot less, too.)


Oh I didn't know teenagers didn't shed that much! I lose on average 50-70 hairs a day, and I'm a little worried about how much I'll shed when I'm older. My ponytail circumference ranges between 3.5 and 4 inches (depending on where it is) and I have fine hair. So this might be normal.

When I was a teenager, and now when I'm almost 30, I've always shed 100+ hairs most days. The only time it was less than that was last fall. I was doing castor oil scalp massages and rooibos scalp applications. I stopped both out of laziness, and my shedding went back up. I'm back on the castor oil, but not consistently, so if that doesn't help I'll try the rooibos again. Maybe it was that all along. ???

I do think that those who have fine AND thick hair are going to have a significantly higher shed rate on average. You simply have *more* hair follicles to begin with. As long as your ponytail circumference is staying approximately the same, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

[Dragon Faery]

Thanks for your response, Silverbrumby :flower: So in answer to your questions:

1. I'm 31 years old (bless your heart for guessing early 20's :D)

2. Pony circumference is 3", and strangely, it hasn't changed in spite of this ginormous shed. It seems that I'm losing mostly the long, mature hairs, but at least new ones keep growing in. They just don't STAY in, and continue to fall out even when they are very short. :shrug:

3. No dieting here... I make an effort to get in lots of healthy protein (fish, grass-fed red meats, free range poultry, organic eggs) and good fats (avocados, walnuts, coconut milk, ground flax seeds), eat lots of veggies and fruits, and also take a multivitamin and extra fish oil capsules. I even tried taking biotin and MSM for a couple months at a time, but didn't see a major difference.

4. No pill usage, either. 100% hormone free :)

5. The problem may be with the Monistat... I just use it every now and again, because I'm not sure at this point whether my scalp likes oily things or not. I'll go a few weeks with using it, and then a few weeks without. Maybe my hair doesn't like the inconsistency and I should just stick with one way or the other?

Thank you again for your comments and taking the time to look through my album. Of course, I only post the pics where my hair looks decent (the "fluff" from my waves sometimes gives the illusion of extra volume ;) ) But I'll include some pics so you can see more of what I'm talking about:

Pic 1 was from about 4 years ago (sorry for the cut-off at the bottom of the page, this was a pre-LHC pic), and then pic 2 on the right is from just a few months ago:

http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x322/hburgy/nicehair640x480.jpg http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x322/hburgy/DSCN1332640x480.jpg

The one on the left was even a half-up, which still looks about 3x thicker than my hair does now even with it all down. Ah well... Still searching for the answer, because I know this shed has to be caused by more than "just stress" as my doctor believes :rolleyes:

-BoHemiAngel

I see that what you've said here negates most of my previous suggestions. :) I should have paid attention to this post, as well. Sorry about that!
I hope you figure it out!

Maybe there was something that caused your body to hit the "reset" button on a lot of your strands at once, making all the oldest ones suddenly fall out? Was there something you did or something that happened to you years ago, when those hairs all grew in, that made a lot grow in all at the same time? Maybe they all hit the end of their cycle at the same time, and have made way for new hairs which will eventually be just as long and thick?

The same circumference as before is a good sign, isn't it? To shoulder, at least, you must still have as much hair as before.
Are you getting hairs around your face with a shorter terminal than before? Ones that look like flyaways or breakage but they're not? If so, it could be a specific kind of alopecia (whose precise name I forget) which shortens the terminal length of each hair over time. There must be a way to find out about that online...

[mamaherrera]

BohemiAngel
I feel like you . My pony measures the same since 'I've started, but I just feel/look to myself that I've lost density. I too, lose over 100 a day and I'm 32 and I've been like this for four years now. I too, was low on vitamin D and magnesium and that helped a lot with my anxiety and insomnia but hasn't helped with high sheds. I did get a rec ipe for hairloss, that my husband makes and it mixes in with my shampoo and those months I used it, my hairloss dropped down a lot , so he made me some last night. I have PCOS< but taking spironolactone that supposedly helps for hairloss, hasn't changed much. But I know what you mean, I have lots of little hairs growing in, but I see lots of short/terminal hairs coming out too which worries me, because that's related to female-pattern baldness, for which there is no cure. But I do have lots of breakage, which you have to study up close because broken hairs can look a lot like terminal hairs because they get stretched before breaking so they are tapered looking, but if they have white at the end and you look close, they are broken/squared, just thinner at the end from being stretched.

I have no idea where I get the breakage from. I only finger-comb with conditioner in the shower because I"m a curly too. The picture is not average, of my shed, but rather I had 30-70 hairs the previous three days, and this was a wash day and a I lost 250. i don't do fancy updos, I never comb dry. ANd I only scrunch. I never diffuse, just air dry. I do straighten my bangs, but not all this hair is coming from my bang obviously. so I don't know why so much breakage. I sleep with a very loose braid at night.

As far as your loss in density, on thing frmo the picture. I notice in the first picture, you have no curl, so you have no clumpage and every hair is separated. In the new picture, you have light clumpage going on, which does lower your density right there, just because many of your hairs are together in clumps. so that might be a reason why it looks "less" but measures the same.

[Vampyria]

mamaherrera do you use oil on your ends? It helped me a lot against breakage. Also, if you hair elastic has metal part and hair is always tied in the same part, that may also cause breakage.

[mamaherrera]

Thanks Vampyria--I will try oil on the ends, does it matter if hair is dry or wet?? I just have to be careful because at times, I overdo the oil and then my ends are really weighted down. Plus, if I add oil to the ends daily (and I only lowpoo twice a week) will that oil in between washes start to build up and causes problems??? And no. . . .hair elastics, no more metal for a long time. I just don't understnad why my hair breaks so easily. I'm afraid to touch it. I would think I need more protein, but everyone tells me no because my hair is so medium/coarse and curly. So they all say more moisture.

[Vampyria]

I use oil before every wash on dry hair and leave it over night, and then just a little amount on damp hair (just for a tip of a teaspoon) after I wash it. It really made a difference for me.

I wouldn't know about the build up, but I tried to oil daily and my hair started to tangle more, so this might be it.

You could try protein treatment, but be careful, some hair really doesn't like it. But you can not know, if you don't try it. Well, I also think that coarse hair prefer moisture, and mine does also.

Since your hair is pretty wavy and coarse, maybe you could look up in conditioner only washing.
http://www.longhaircommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2898

[Venefica]

I generally shed about 15 hairs when I brush my hair and a few more through the day and I usually shed two or three hairs when I take my bun out in the evening. Some days I shed more some less. I guess I am at about 30 to 50 hairs shed a day or something along those lines.

[Little Unicorn]

This morning after brushing I counted how many I had lost. I had lost two. Half an hour later a ran my hands through my hair and found two more.

[Arden]

I'm not going to count cause that would just make me more nurotic than I already am.. LOL... but I will say this much.... all you guys with 70 counts and whatnot do make me feel better about life....:)

[Perididdle]

I as in a dorm suite with a bunch of thick haired ladies. Our showers were always a mess because some girls wouldn't clean out the drain after showering...eep. I don't know how much I shed, but I know I'm always covered in falling hairs. I see it most in the shower, especially now that I'm doing more vigorous scalp shampooings. I do feel a little better having seen this thread and knowing it's not unusual!

[Silverbrumby]

Shed is down. Around 50 or less a day down from 60 to 100. The only thing changed is Whey protein, LOreal Everstrong shampoo with rosemary and MSM. Still not sure why the MSM is making such a difference. I might go off it for a week and see if the shed increases then go back on it and see if it decreases.

[Little Unicorn]

I just washed my hair and lost 26 hairs :( Is that too much? that means 30 hairs so far today.

[vindo]

well I must be going bald then. Because I count daily and I average it, somtimes I lose 320 in one day, then 20the next day, etc. but it averages out to being 93-100 per day in a month. I've been like that for a long time though.
Combing out an increased amount of shed hair is mostly due to shed hair accumulating until the wash day. I "lose" more on day 6 after a wash, and then there is *still* even more hair that comes out in the shower, that I was not able to comb out.
If you wash infrequently that might be why your shed count goes up so much.
The best way to count is combing out your freshly washed hair, bunning it for a whole day without taking it down or combing it, then counting the shed hair.
Lik I noted below, the new number was adjusted by science itself. So I can't say more about that, but losing a lot of hair for a longer period of time, does not make you go "bald" necessarily. It can just leave you with thinner hair than you would naturally have, depending on how much you lose.




1. Just put how many you lost in the morning comb out
- 3-10 (less on freshly washed days)

2. During the whole day
- 15-30 (less on freshly washed days)

3. Lengths of the shed hairs
- most are longer than shoulder length- waist length, few are TB length.

4. Whatever takes your fancy
- Scientists have adjusted the normal shed count to around 60. Some may remember up to 100 hairs daily used to be considered normal, but most people will actually notice thinning with larger numbers.


*********************

My shed in this mornings comb out

4

[mamaherrera]

Well, maybe we won't stay bald right now, but I think the last four years of my high sheds, has lowered my ponytail, but I just didn't measure it before the high sheds. But . . . I still worry about going bald at an earlier age, if I continue to stay like this, because they say (scientists) that every hair goes through 10-30 life cycles in a lifetime. If mine are shedding faster, and not getting as long as they should, can you imagine me at 60? That's why I don't know what's making me shed so high? But most doctors will laugh at you saying it's norma,l if you tell them I shed 100-120 daily because they still think those counts are normal. Why are these dermatologists not up with the current science??

[lilyofthevalley]

I do not count them, but I have been very concerned as of late because all of the hairs shed have seemed to be my longest ones, I would say 8 out of 10 shed are longest.

I will begin keeping track of how many.

[mamaherrera]

I wouldn't worry about the long ones. They've lived sufficiently. I worry about the fact that I shed a lot of shorter ones, that haven't lived more than a year or two, meaning my growth phase right now is very short.

[Ephemeral]

Shed is down. Around 50 or less a day down from 60 to 100. The only thing changed is Whey protein, LOreal Everstrong shampoo with rosemary and MSM. Still not sure why the MSM is making such a difference. I might go off it for a week and see if the shed increases then go back on it and see if it decreases.

When I started taking MSM, I went from shedding 100+ to maybe 15 a day.

[Silverbrumby]

When I started taking MSM, I went from shedding 100+ to maybe 15 a day.


I've stopped the MSM for a little bit because of a cough I have after a cold. My shed went up so I'm going to re-start tomorrow and track carefully. It would be nice if MSM does prove effective.

BTW IMHO anyone losing under 50 a day doesn't have anything much to worry about but I respect the right of all to obsess just like I do

:hollie:

[floralgem]

I shed a lot. I can literally be playing with my hair, and it'll shed....

[NoRush]

I had an awful day, shed wise, a few days ago, but I'm traveling so maybe that's it.. About 150 hairs in the shower alone plus the combing shd and after drying.... I hadn't had so bad a shed in 5-7 years probably, it freaked me out, it's calmed down significantly since then, but it's still not down to "normal", I always shed more in spring/summer, but not often like this.

Also I had been wearing my hair all the time those "shed" days, I wonder if the tention from the but had anything to do with it... :hmm:

[Dragon Faery]

Yesterday's wash shed: 170.
I didn't count how many I lost before washing, but it was somewhere around 20, most likely.

That was a little bit high, but not terrible, especially considering the fact that I kept it up and didn't detae for several days before washing. Any time I touch my hair I tend to shed at least one hair, usually more. It's always been that way.

[vindo]

Well, maybe we won't stay bald right now, but I think the last four years of my high sheds, has lowered my ponytail, but I just didn't measure it before the high sheds. But . . . I still worry about going bald at an earlier age, if I continue to stay like this, because they say (scientists) that every hair goes through 10-30 life cycles in a lifetime. If mine are shedding faster, and not getting as long as they should, can you imagine me at 60? That's why I don't know what's making me shed so high? But most doctors will laugh at you saying it's norma,l if you tell them I shed 100-120 daily because they still think those counts are normal. Why are these dermatologists not up with the current science??


Dermatologists, and many standard physicians receive very basic training and many are not completely up to date. Not saying there are not great doctors, that try to actually solve puzzles, but sadly there is many that don't.

When I saw a dermatologist for my hair loss he was not of any help either. He said "oh well, maybe you just have thin hair..."
My endocrinologist at least did a blood test and found out I had raised prolactin levels (and Hashimoto's), the cause of my hair loss. 2010 it stopped right after I started meds.

I understand your worries, I hope you can get to the root of this. Some things to look for are:
- hormonal imbalances (blood test at endo)
- vitamin deficiencies ( lack of vit. D., Zinc, iron, b vitamins all cause hair loss)

Once you know what is causing it medication might help. I was on medication but I was looking for a long term solution and looked into alternative healing (dietary changes, certain foods can even mess up your hormones for some).
I am not on meds anymore and all my levels are normal. Of course I hope it will stay this way, but lately things have been great.

And yes, you may be right about your hair not growing to its full potential with increased shedding.

[Vampyria]

I understand your worries, I hope you can get to the root of this. Some things to look for are:
- hormonal imbalances (blood test at endo)
- vitamin deficiencies ( lack of vit. D., Zinc, iron, b vitamins all cause hair loss)

Then, I should go to endocrinologist if I want a blood test? What about for vitamin deficiencies, do I have to go to some other doctor even though a blood test can show that to? I went to my personal doctor and he said that blood tests and such are pointless, if I don't have some other problems and sent me to dermatologist.

[mamaherrera]

That is my problem too. I know which tests I want done, but they won't do them. They get totally offended thinking I"m trying to act like I know more than them. If I say, and I've said this, "Can you test my zinc llllevels because that can cause hair loss" then they say"no, I don't need to test that because that has nothing to do with hair loss" I was lacking vitamin D, and they put me on high levels. Now I've cut back, but where do you find a doctor who tracks you and is willing to check once in a while to make sure you're maintaining. Even with the dermatologist. They checked my iron, saw my ferritin was 30 and said, no that's still in normal range. Obviously they know nothing about hair loss. And I have to pay them whether Im' satisfied or not. Seriously, this is not ok. I was going to an endo, she wouldn't check my other hormones, other than testosterone because of my PCOS, she would NOT check hormones, saying that those other ones are not important. OK, . .. and are you not a doctor that deals with hormones. They think hairloss is not important,. yet when you can't sleep, don't eat and are depressed because of it, you are causing other health issues. I go tomorrow to my third dermatologist. I pray to God, that they are more knowledgab le and more willing to help me get to the bottom of this.

[Dragon Faery]

Yesterday's wash shed: 170.
I didn't count how many I lost before washing, but it was somewhere around 20, most likely.

That was a little bit high, but not terrible, especially considering the fact that I kept it up and didn't detae for several days before washing. Any time I touch my hair I tend to shed at least one hair, usually more. It's always been that way.

Today (2 days later) in the shower: 150-ish. With probably 20-ish before. No accurate count due to lack of time.
The day in between I didn't touch my hair much, so I didn't lose much. I'm guessing I lost around 20-50 yesterday.

It seems like the hairs I'm currently losing are mostly pretty long, so I'm happy about that. Although I still lose maybe 10 2-4" long hairs each time, and find 1-2 broken pieces.

[joflakes]

I'm gonna join this and try to keep track of it more as I'm worried about it!

Yesterday was somewhere 150-200. Not sure as I only counted the ones from the evening, not the shower and comb out ones.

Today so far...2. I'll come and edit this later on to add this evening's as well!

[Silverbrumby]

I think mine has been around 50 but I haven't been tracking and I'm not constantly pulling out hair so maybe it's lower. Stopped the MSM because of my cough. I know it's silly but the cough wont go away so I'm eliminating it for a week to see if the cough clears up. If it does I'll try it again. I think it helped with my particular shedding.

[NoRush]

Count for today 210.... and it's not even 10am yet.... :wail:

There was stuff from last night because I didnt comb out before bed.... but still, not a pretty sight *le sigh*

[joflakes]

80 today. I kept my hair up all day in a kinda bun and tried not to touch it at all. I guess I am pleased it's less than yesterday but it still seems a lot!

Also asked my Mum if she sheds a lot and she said she does...maybe I just haven't noticed my shedding before as I haven't had hair this long in years?

[AineMuirne]

Morning brushing: 2 hairs
Afternoon brushing before shower: 10 hairs
In shower: 8 hairs
After shower finger combing: 4 hairs

Total: 24 hairs

I don't shed much most days. :x It also helped that I had coconut oil in my hair all day in a cinnamon bun. I usually lose about 35 hairs.

[joflakes]

Okay here are my last few days shed counts. I don't think it is as bad as I previously thought!

60
40
20
60

:) I am pleased!

[Neneka]

I shed very little. I can't find the hairs anywhere. I lose maybe 1-5 when I wash my hair every 3 or 4 days. I am trying to collect them for a rat so I really look for them. I wear my hair up all the time so they don't just fall somewhere during the day or night. This is weird. Maybe I will have huge mega-shed some day. Hopefully not.

[ingvild]

My shedding has been quite steadily around 50-60 hairs/day the last months, not counting wash days (shed more after showers)

But it seems to have been less lately. yesterday I shed less than 30. This morning, 20. I'll wash my hair tomorrow again, we'll see. I wouldn't mind shedding a bit less for some time. :)
Now I'm also back to fish oil, multi and whey. Let's see!

[joflakes]

I think I've been about 30-40 today. Not been counting really...trying not to stress over it!

[mamaherrera]

I can't seem to go lower than 110 daily. THat's been my norm right now. I am treating the dandruff so I hope that helps lower. But I wonder something. Do you all think that the massaging while washing and lifting the hair so water gets to the scalp, and all that manipulation causes us to pull out hairs that aren't supposed to come out?? I never feel pain or a pull, but that's when all my hair comes out. So I wonder if I"m massaging too hard, but I want to keep my scalp clean and it's hard to get down to the scalp and when you massage the scalp, you can't help but move those hairs surrounding around in circles too, and I don't know if that can cause them to come out. Hope not!

[xltorresx]

I lose a lot in the shower every second day, too much to count :( Maybe its because I don't really brush my hair?

[Silverbrumby]

Okay here are my last few days shed counts. I don't think it is as bad as I previously thought!

60
40
20
60

:) I am pleased!

I love tracking over time because I also realized that I'm around 60 to 70 per day which wasn't as bad as I thought.

[Silverbrumby]

I lose a lot in the shower every second day, too much to count :( Maybe its because I don't really brush my hair?

When I don't brush and bun my hair without handling it much a ton of hair comes out on day three in the shower.

[AineMuirne]

I lose a lot in the shower every second day, too much to count :( Maybe its because I don't really brush my hair?

I get about double shedding if I haven't washed my hair in a few days or messed with it much. I always figure it's just catching up, lol.

[joflakes]

I get about double shedding if I haven't washed my hair in a few days or messed with it much. I always figure it's just catching up, lol.

I've noticed this as well!

[Silverbrumby]

* 95 today but I did a SMT on it. So very dry lately. I think I've been using too much shampoo.

edit:

110 today but hair actually feeling and looking so much better. I might shed more because I didn't shampoo but the dryness was driving me nuts.

[petali]

I got around 15 hairs this morning with my regular comb. And 20 pieces of breakage :(
I will do a clarifying wash tonight. I hope that takes out the cones.

[mamaherrera]

I hope that dandruff shampoo for my SD lowers my shedding, but now my scalp is irritated, dry and itchy from these sulfates. I'm afraid to put oil on my scalp due to the dandruff, but I hope it can heal and come back to normal on it's own and that I don't shed more now from the reaction to the shampoo

[sloth]

If I ever counted all my shedding I would drive myself mad. I have very damaged hair so I can pretty much run my hands through it at any time and pick up three or four broken stands. When I unbraid and brush out my hair in the morning, before I put it up for my mind, I lose A LOT. I can actually run a wide-tooth comb through the same spot and just watch hair rain down, with no sign of stopping.

It all seems to be part of the damaged ends, though, which I'm growing out. So I suppose it could be worse?

[petali]

I hope that dandruff shampoo for my SD lowers my shedding, but now my scalp is irritated, dry and itchy from these sulfates. I'm afraid to put oil on my scalp due to the dandruff, but I hope it can heal and come back to normal on it's own and that I don't shed more now from the reaction to the shampoo

Try using tea tree oil:
It has been proven to reduce dandruff. But you have to use this in small quantities, because it can be drying.

[KittyBird]

I hope that dandruff shampoo for my SD lowers my shedding, but now my scalp is irritated, dry and itchy from these sulfates. I'm afraid to put oil on my scalp due to the dandruff, but I hope it can heal and come back to normal on it's own and that I don't shed more now from the reaction to the shampoo

I second what Petali said, try tea tree oil. I mix two-three drops with some coconut and castor oil and massage it into my scalp. The day before wash day I put a lot of this oil mixture on my scalp and leave it on over night. It really makes my irritated, flaky scalp feel and look better.

As for how much I shed, I fingercomb in the morning and shed about 30-40 hairs. I try not to obsess about it though :)

[Mahealani]

Just washed my hair and after very careful detangling I had my biggest shed since I remember, it were 118 hairs + quite plenty of in the bath. Feeling sad and worried. I hope it is due to new Ma Provece shampoo bar I used for the first time. Before I used Lady Godiva from Lush.

Boy I hope it is due to new shampoo bar... :(

[Shepherdess]

I haven't been counting, but it seems I have been shedding more lately. :/

[Silverbrumby]

My shed rate has dropped dramatically. I'm not complaining here but it's gone from 60 to 100 a day to about 30. The only new thing I've done is an organic shampoo, MSM (which I started about a month ago) and a natural progesterone cream on the recommendation of a nathropath and I fixed up my iron and vit D. issues.

It also might be the end of my 3+ year shed cycle. I shall be cautiously watching and for the moment I'm not going to recommend the above especially the cream without getting blood work done.

[blaketob]

I'm actually really afraid of the amount I have been shedding. I have never kept track but I do notice A LOT more hairs after I comb! I never used to have anything maybe a hair or two on the comb or about 5-10 hairs in the shower but now I have so much hair on the comb and so much hair in the shower. Throughout the day I'll finger comb and notice a bunch of hairs that fall out. Maybe since my hair is growing longer it's getting more knotty? I want to deffinately start counting how many fall out each day now.

[pes3108]

I did drive myself mad when I first joined LHC but not now. Back then I was trying to stop what I thought was a massive shed cycle. Now I realize after reading comments from a bunch of folks that hair has:

1. Life cycles eg babies usually have fine hair, young children thicker, teenagers abundant hair that does not shed much, early to mid twenties the first noticeable shed, after birth shedding, mid 40's shed (which I'm in now).

2. Habits effect. smoking, vit, minerals, stress, wear and tear.

3. Genetics

After 1 year and a little gain I now know I'm facing my mid 40's shed. It runs in the family. I'll still do what I can but I'm now thinking outside the square if my hair doesn't come good (my verison of good). It's empowering.

Shed after shower - 15

Total today - 85

there is a first noticeable shed in the early-mid 20s?!? Oh no, I noticed I've been shedding quite a bit the past few weeks. I just turned 23.

[Ligeia_13]

there is a first noticeable shed in the early-mid 20s?!? Oh no, I noticed I've been shedding quite a bit the past few weeks. I just turned 23.


Same here, but 24. And my hair just started shedding like mad in July. I mean, tons falls out in the shower and if I run my fingers through it during the day, a few hairs come out. I'm really starting to worry. It's a huge difference, before this mighty shed, I only lost about 5-10 hairs when I washed :(

[vindo]

Then, I should go to endocrinologist if I want a blood test? What about for vitamin deficiencies, do I have to go to some other doctor even though a blood test can show that to? I went to my personal doctor and he said that blood tests and such are pointless, if I don't have some other problems and sent me to dermatologist.

Sorry for the delay, I am not online much.

An endocrinologist will test for anything hormonal, but can also help you with things like diabetes or nutrition in General.
My General Practician (sp.?) checked for Vitamin deficiencies.

Your doctor was not very helpful, try to see someone else. It is not at all pointless, if they would find out you are severely lacking Zinc, Iron or Vit. D for example, it can affect your health in more ways that just hair loss...:rolleyes:

A dermatologist will check your scalp, but you still need to see an Endo. to make sure the cause is not hormonal, which is the most common cause.


That is my problem too. I know which tests I want done, but they won't do them. They get totally offended thinking I"m trying to act like I know more than them. If I say, and I've said this, "Can you test my zinc llllevels because that can cause hair loss" then they say"no, I don't need to test that because that has nothing to do with hair loss" I was lacking vitamin D, and they put me on high levels. Now I've cut back, but where do you find a doctor who tracks you and is willing to check once in a while to make sure you're maintaining. Even with the dermatologist. They checked my iron, saw my ferritin was 30 and said, no that's still in normal range. Obviously they know nothing about hair loss. And I have to pay them whether Im' satisfied or not. Seriously, this is not ok. I was going to an endo, she wouldn't check my other hormones, other than testosterone because of my PCOS, she would NOT check hormones, saying that those other ones are not important. OK, . .. and are you not a doctor that deals with hormones. They think hairloss is not important,. yet when you can't sleep, don't eat and are depressed because of it, you are causing other health issues. I go tomorrow to my third dermatologist. I pray to God, that they are more knowledgab le and more willing to help me get to the bottom of this.

Sadly many doctors are idiots...sorry, but it is just true. Too many are not caring at all. I also had trouble finding a doctor that took me seriously about my hair loss.
The derm. said "well maybe your hair just supposed to be thin" after looking at my scalp.

What I did was I also showed the endo pictures of my hair before and after the hair loss, the first ones from my signature, and he agreed that this is real hair loss.

However, not everyone can do that, and you also don't want to wait too long...keep trying is all I can say.